News and Updates

A new untraceable SMS text messaging system has been developed by computer scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT claims that this system is even more secure than the Tor anonymity network and has the power to create truly anonymous SMS communications. Cracking the code In July 2015, researchers from MIT and the Qatar Computing Research Institute succeeded in cracking a security vulnerability which affected the Tor anonymity network, allowing them to identify hidden servers with an accuracy rate of up to 88%. The researchers achieved this by looking for patterns in the number of packets passing in each direction through Tor nodes, and found that they could tell […]

A high-tech social enterprise by the name of ‘Ignitia’, has joined the Business Call to Action (BctA), with a commitment to deliver reliable, targeted, affordable tropical weather forecasts in the form of SMS messages to 1.2 million small-scale farms in West Africa by the end of 2017. The purpose of BCtA is to encourage companies to aid in the fight against poverty through the use of inclusive business models and is supported by the UN’s development programme and other international organisations. This project was set up as small-scale farmers in the tropics have extremely limited access to reliable weather forecasts, which can cause serious constraints on their ability to plan […]

In recent months, online shopping safety has been the focus of many of the large card providers. A growing number of innovative security features have been developed in the payment sector, several of which incorporated biometrics within mobile wallets to identify purchasers. A great example is Apple Pay’s fingerprint sensors which has been integral in the wide scale acceptance of biometric security. Its success has has also been an important factorl in paving the way for other solutions to develop, such as the use of a smartphone camera to take a ‘selfie’ as a means of identifying users wishing to make payments. Based on this, MasterCard are set to introduce […]

HBO’s Game of Thrones series is arguably one of the most successful shows in TV history, boasting an enormous avid fanbase which stretches to every corner of the globe. Each of last season’s episodes averaged an astounding estimated 19 million viewers. To kick off the last season, HBO launched a mobile website and SMS subscription service in order to allow fans to keep in touch with the show and any news and updates. With Facebook and Twitter failing to suffice for such a large audience, HBO decided to use SMS as a further channel to reach their viewers. Unlike online platforms which would have struggled to reach such vast quantities […]

Popular instant messaging service Snapchat, renowned for disappearing videos and photos, has announced an update introducing a feature called “Login Verification”. When users choose to enable this feature, Snapchat will send them an SMS code every time they wish to log in to Snapchat on a new device, thus ensuring it is in fact them trying to access their account. This feature is one which a number of apps and services have seen fit to add, with Apple launching two-step verification for FaceTime and iMessage earlier this February. With recent high-profile cloud hacks and similar privacy controversies, many argue that such features should be provided as a standard across all […]

FetchMe is a new UK-based service which allows any user to order almost anything through the simple act of sending a text message. It’s like having everything you could possibly desire right at your fingertips (literally). If you fancy a Juicy Burger and can’t be bothered to sort out a delivery, FetchMe will do it all for you. Of course users’ requests must be within the realms of legality, however Rowan Hand (Founder of FetchME) has stated that as long as these terms are met, almost anything is fair game: “FetchMe is for people who have a need and want to solve it by sending a text. That’s holiday, food, […]

Earlier this year WhatsApp revealed it now has over 700 million monthly users, placing the messenger app in first place among its competitors such as Kik and Facebook messenger, but does this mean these apps are replacing our SMS activity entirely? Well, when we consider that more businesses are using SMS messaging than at any point in the past, it’s hard to see how SMS is going to disappear any time soon. As we reach the age of A2P Communication, SMS is being utilised as the best way to allow direct, instant and efficient communication with a customer base at any time. Apps like WhatsApp are definitely being used more than SMS for […]

In January 2015, Microsoft unveiled a cheap, internet enabled Nokia mobile phone (Nokia 215), in a bid to help increase its market share in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. This no doubt, comes as a response to the huge growth of mobile communications including SMS messaging seen in these countries. Now, developing nations are demanding affordable, but capable handsets and low cost services to improve their communications. All kinds of organisations are already responding to this growth, by using SMS gateways to send bulk SMS messages to consumers/customers who have poor access to transport and electricity. Nokia’s new handset is remarkably cheap, at a cost of just $29 (£29) and is […]

SMS can be utilised by a range of businesses in a number of great ways. Here are a few examples of different departments which could incorporate SMS messaging into their communication with customers and potential messages they may send. Restaurants and Bars SMS messages can be used as a means to communicate with customers and inform them of any special dishes that may be on offer today – as texting is instant they will be notified immediately, unlike an email which may not be read until several days later, by which point it’s too late. Notifying them of ‘specials’ may encourage potential customers to book a table if they are […]

For those of us who don’t speak Chichewa, Chipatala cha pa Foni means health centre by phone. In 2011, a so named health centre was launched by the non-profit organisation “VillageReach”, in a bid to connect expectant mothers in Malawi with health workers in order to receive the appropriate careened health services they require. In an email interview with a Program Manager at VillageResearch, Erin Larsen-Cooper stated that a key aspect of the program “uses the hosted service TextIt to send and receive text messages to and from pregnant women and community health workers”. Erin explained that ANC connect is not a mobile application: “By design users don’t need an app on […]